Rotary Global Grant is Providing Freshwater Wells to Rural Communities in Burkina Faso

Submitted by Past President Alex Crawford of

The Rotary Club of North Berwick, Scotland

The power of Rotary - when 21 Clubs, 3 Districts, 4 Countries, and 3 Continents come together to achieve a common goal.

In late 2016 The Rotary Club of North Berwick (D1020 - Scotland) learned of the activities of a small British Registered Charity (The Myra’s Well Charity). The club was moved by the plight of children in Burkina Faso whose education was severely impacted by the need to spend much of their time every day fetching water, and decided to give financial support to the provision of freshwater wells to communities.

In the next few years efforts were made to secure financial support from other UK Rotary Clubs. Finally an application for both District and Global Grants was submitted, including support from 19 Rotary Clubs, and two Districts (1020 and 6600). The Rotary Foundation approved the applications and an award of $90K US was concluded in September 2020.

Involved in the project execution were The host club (RC of Ouagadougou Crystal), the International Club (RC of North Berwick) and the main contractor (The Myra’s Wells charity).

Burkina Faso is hampered by poor infrastructure and it was estimated that some 7,500 additional or replacement freshwater wells would be required to provide acceptable drinking water to the rural population. The Myra’s Wells Charity had already successfully drilled and commissioned some 180 wells providing water for some 1000 people and a large number of livestock.

In January 2021, a joint site visit with representatives from the host club and both local and UK Myra’s Wells, took place. Several sites were identified as having a critical need for alternative water supplies. Unfortunately, the community assessments required to permit trial drilling were deemed non-compliant, and no Rotary funded wells were installed in the 2020/21 drilling season. Fortunately, despite a Military Coup, and following another series of site visits, 13 potential well locations were identified. Within the first three months of 2022 some four wells were successfully drilled. In the next three months, three more potential well sites were surveyed and two resulted in positive outcomes. All six wells became fully operational by the end of the Drilling Season in July 2021

The formal Hand-Over Ceremonies of some of the wells took place in June 2022 (shown below).

Again, despite a second military coup, trial drilling commenced at the beginning of October and two more wells became fully operational in November 2022 and were handed over to the local communities in January 2023. All being well, sufficient funds will be available for a ninth well.

International News

September 21st is the International Day of Peace

Clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene is an important part of peace

Did you know one of the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals is Clean Water and Sanitation?

Click the play button to watch the Peace Begins With Me video | United Nations

EARTHQUAKE IN MOROCCO:

Guidance on water, sanitation, and hygiene response

Submitted by Chair Emeritus Ron Denham

A special message from WASH-RAG and the Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) at Loughborough University, UK.

If you are involved, or have contacts who are involved in the emergency response to the recent earthquake in Morocco, the WEDC is providing free copies of full-length books (see below) or email WEDC to learn more about what you can do to help in an emergency.

EMERGENCY WATER SOURCES

Guidelines for selection and treatment

These guidelines have been designed to help those involved in the assessment of emergency water sources to collect relevant information in a systematic way, to use this information to select a source or sources and to determine the appropriate level of treatment required to make the water suitable for drinking. The book is relevant to a wide range of emergency situations, including both natural and conflict-induced disasters.

EMERGENCY SANITATION

Assessment and program design

This book is designed to assist those involved in planning and implementing emergency sanitation programs. The main focus of the book is a systematic and structured approach to assessment and program design. It provides a balance between the hardware (technical) and software (socio-cultural, institutional) aspects of sanitation program, and links short-term emergency response to long-term sustainability. The book is relevant to a wide range of emergency situations, including both natural and conflict-induced disasters, and open and closed settings. It is suitable for field technicians, engineers and hygiene promoters, as well as staff at agency headquarters.

EMERGENCY VECTOR CONTROL

A handbook for relief workers

The control of vectors that transmit diseases in emergencies is critical to the prevention of epidemics. This handbook describes how such vectors can be identified and controlled using chemicals. Aimed at non-specialists such as logisticians, engineers and health workers, it provides advice on identifying the responsible vector, selecting the appropriate control chemical and the means of application, together with advice on planning an implementation program.

Rotary District 5450 WASH Local Action Group

Human Centered Design WASH Symposium

October 21, 2023 Hybrid Event Live and Virtual Tickets Available

Learn more about this innovative design approach and how its participatory, empathic and partnering principals can empower and enhance successful clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects around the world.

WASH in HCF Community Practice Event

October 4, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM EDT/ 15:00 - 16: 30 EAT

In June, WHO and UNICEF published the Global Progress Report on WASH in Healthcare Facilities. This session will explore how members of the WASH in HCF Community of Practice can translate and implement the global recommendations into their own work. They will then deep dive into the third recommendation: developing the health workforce, with a discussion on strategies for sustained behaviour change.

BREAKING WASH HCF NEWS

Could you use $5,000 for your WASH in Healthcare Facilities project?

A very generous donor has provided funding specifically for the software component of this critical, but sometimes neglected area of WASH. 

Training, capacity building, behavior change and advocacy are all essential components of a sustainable project - and your project probably includes them. WASH-RAG will match the budget for such activities up to US $5,000.

Projects being submitted for Global or District Grants are eligible. Even projects already approved for such grants are eligible, provided the additional $5000 would strengthen its sustainability.  

Contact us immediately if you think your project qualifies—funds are limited.

For more information contact us at info@WASH-RAG.org

SAFE WATER FOR PROVINCIAL SCHOOLS IN COLOMBIA – GG1745928

Submitted by Rotarian Helene Morse

Rotary Club of Paddington (Australia)

Rotary Colombia has completed the installation of 50 filters in provincial schools in Colombia, all of them now working. There are a total of 13,000 children who are benefiting from drinking clean water, avoiding the contaminated water that produced parasitic and diarrheal illnesses, and minimizing absenteeism and malnutrition. 

How do you CREATE HOPE in

the 2023-2024 WASH World?